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Having just one day between games proved to be a blessing in disguise for Rutgers. A little more than 48 hours after getting pummeled at West Virginia, the Scarlet Knights (11-8, 3-3) turned around and beat Notre Dame (11-8, 3-3) before a prime-time crowd of 6,344 at the RAC Monday. The thoughts & quotes:

There is an official rallying cry for Rutgers this season: “The left side of the board.” In the locker room, just inside the entrance, the Big East standings are posted on sliding metal plates. There are two rows. The first eight teams in the standings are on the left side, the second eight on the right. Recently head manager Dave Fedor mentioned to Mike Rice that he’s never seen Rutgers on the left side of the board. Now that’s the goal. At the moment the Scarlet Knights sit in ninth place, a half-game behind South Florida. Still on the right side, but this is the best league start for RU since 2003-04, a season that ended in the NIT final. …continue reading →

About the Author

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.Email Jerry.